Poor Paddlefish, you get overlooked so often. How can this happen? Your restaurant looks like a huge boat. This restaurant located in The Landing at Disney Springs often plays second fiddle to The Boathouse when it comes to seafood at Disney Springs. As Walt Disney World’s own website says, “Turn lunch or dinner into a unique occasion! Board an iconic steamboat anchored on Lake Buena Vista to feast on sensational seafood and savory steaks.” Despite that description, Paddlefish restaurant ranks slightly below average in terms of Disney Springs restaurants searched for. Yes, the competition will always be tough with 21 table-service dining options in Disney Springs currently. Still, this place offers some good options for your dining dollars. For example, during my October 2022 trip, I ordered the “Blackened Catfish Sandwich” at Paddlefish.
The catfish sandwich entree costs $18. This sandwich can only be bought during lunch hours here though. The standard lunch hours are from noon to 4 pm each day, The sandwich comes with a large portion of fries. The components of this sandwich qualify as simple. On a brioche bun, you receive lettuce, tomato, onion, and some remoulade sauce on top of the catfish.
As someone who grew up in Arkansas, I have enjoyed many catfish meals in my life. The catfish for this sandwich came well prepared. This type of fish blackens nicely. I found the seasoning to be solid. Yet, I would have preferred more seasoning of the catfish itself. The catfish offered a flaky texture without too much batter. The flavor overall of the catfish matches what one would expect at a table service restaurant.
The bun offered some additional positive flavor. However, this sandwich struggled to hold together. In addition, I failed to really taste the remoulade sauce included with this sandwich. After having the “Crab Topped Fries” as an appetizer, this condiment functioned in an understated way compared to the sauce with the appetizer. Maybe it is just me, but I expected remoulade sauce to announce its presence with authority.
As mentioned, the side of the fries provides plenty. The fries brought the right amount of crispiness. I found they lacked enough seasoning though. They also lowered in quality noticeably as you got near the bottom of the container.
Overall, I found this sandwich a reasonable lunch entrée at Disney Springs. I would order this again. Yet, I enjoy catfish. If you are not a catfish fan, then this might not appeal to you. However, if looking for a lighter style lunch, you should consider this sandwich.
However, my meal came with a special surprise. With some expected chicanery by my dining companion on the day, Tom from Vacationeers Podcast, our server, Sandra, brought me one of their New York-style cheesecakes. Tom qualifies as a large fan of cheesecake so we both enjoyed this dessert. This simple, but well-made, cheesecake comes with some whipped cream and fruit. The fruit tastes great. Of course, fruit just tastes better in Florida compared to many other places. We found this cheesecake to be a good dessert. The Paddlefish menu says it costs $10 coming with farm-fresh strawberry compote. Well, we got strawberries but also two lonely blackberries also. If dining here, this dessert deserves consideration for the completion of your meal.
I have another cautionary tale about Walt Disney World’s technology and website. The Disney website lists this dessert as $9. I confirmed with the staff that the cheesecake has cost $10 for some time. As always, when possible, search the official restaurant website when planning a visit to Disney Springs for accurate information on menu items and prices.
If looking to visit here, I suggest making a reservation here. Of course, MouseDining’s service helps with that. Whatever you decide, enjoy your vacation. As always eat like you mean it!
